Maryville Sex Offender Edward Grimes Gets 19 Years for Child Porn

Edward Grimes, a 58-year-old Maryville, Mo., man and registered sex offender, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison without parole for attempting to distribute and receive child pornography over the Internet. U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays handed down the sentence, marking a grim end to a case rooted in the predatory exploitation of children.

Grimes has a long criminal history stretching back to New York, where he was convicted of sexual abuse of a child, criminal sexual act against a child under 14, and endangering the welfare of a child — the latter tied to a sexual act involving a 4-year-old. Those convictions mandate lifetime sex offender registration, a requirement he violated by continuing to engage in predatory behavior.

On July 6, 2015, Grimes pleaded guilty to three federal charges: attempting to distribute child pornography, attempting to receive child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He admitted to attempting distribution on March 29, 2013, receipt on December 31, 2013, and possession as recently as February 12, 2014. The crimes were committed using digital devices now forfeited to the government — two desktops, a laptop, four hard drives, and a thumb drive.

Investigators uncovered a disturbing pattern. On March 29, 2013, Grimes created a photo album on a file-sharing site containing 65 images — including three pornographic photos of girls aged 12 to 13. The collection ranged from clothed women to fully nude minors, blurring the line between adult content and outright child exploitation.

A search warrant executed at his Maryville residence on February 12, 2014, turned up a firearm — leading to state charges for being a felon in possession — and electronic media loaded with child pornography. Among the seized files: 132 images of child pornography, nearly all depicting prepubescent girls, and four videos created by Grimes showing a 10-year-old girl. Authorities believe these were part of a grooming effort for future sexual abuse.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program combines federal, state, and local efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute offenders — and to rescue their youngest victims.